[Psychopathological symptoms and personality traits in young adult cannabis-dependent treatment seekers: A...

The aim of this paper was to describe the psychopathological and personality profile associated with cannabis dependence in young adults and to compare it with those of non-addictive disorders and the normal population. The sample consisted of 141 cannabis-dependent subjects attending a psychiatric outpatient clinic, 140 psychiatric patients with non-addictive disorders and 140 subjects from the general population chosen to match the patient samples for age, gender and socioeconomic level. All participants were assessed with different instruments related to personality (Impulsiveness Scale, Sensation-Seeking Scale and STAI) and psychopathology (SCL-90-R, BDI, STAI and Inadaptation Scale). Patients from the clinical groups presented more anxiety and depression symptoms than healthy participants, and had more problems adjusting to everyday life, but there were no differences between the two clinical groups. Cannabis-dependent patients were specifically characterized by low educational level and by the presence of paranoid ideation; they were also more impulsive and sensation-seeking than those from the other two groups. We discuss the implications of this study for clinical practice and for further research.